Door adjusting mechanism



March 1953 s. H. HOBSON EI'AL DOOR ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed June 11, 1949 Patented Mar. 10, 1953 DOOR ADJUSTING MECHANISM Stanley H. Hobson, Rockford, and Thomas Lane,

Belvidere, Ill., assignors to Geo. D. Roper Corporation, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application June 11, 1949, Serial No. 98,582

4 Claims.

This invention relates to door adjusting mechanisms and more particularly to door adjusting mechanisms for controlling the warp in sheet metal oven doors and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel door adjusting mechanism of the above character that has a good mechanical advantage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door adjusting mechanism of the above character that is capab1e of being mounted on one side of a panel of the door and is accessible for adjustment from the opposite side of the panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door adjusting mechanism of the above character that is positive in its action, that is rugged, that is simple, and that is relatively inexpensive to produce.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cooking range having an oven door embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the oven door with the panels in a disassembled relation to show the details of construction of the door adjusting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the details of construction of the adjusting mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the component parts of the adjusting mechanism in a different relative position than shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a range having an oven door, embodying the pres ent invention, in an open position illustrating the manner in which an adjustment of the door is effected.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is shown embodied in a door adjusting mechanism for an oven door I of a cooking range I2, such as a gas range, of any conventional construction. To simplify the drawings, only a fragmentary perspective view of the range is shown. In general the range includes a top |3 having a plurality of burners M (one only being shown), a front it, burner control knobs l1, extending through the manifold cover plate l8 to be accessible from the front of the range, the oven door it mounted on the front l6 and a door [9 mounted on the front of the range below the oven door ll.

The oven door may be of any suitable Construction. In this instance it is formed by two panels 2| and 22, an inner panel or liner and.

an outer panel, secured together with the central portions in spaced relation. The inner panel 2| has a generally rectangular shape and may be formed from a single piece of sheet metal. Its top and bottom edges are deformed as shown in Fig. 2 to define flanges 23 and 24 inclined :at an angle to the plane of the panel. The side edges of the door 2| are deformed in a similar manner to define flanges 26 and 21 on the sides of the panel. The central portion of the panel 2| is recessed or dished as shown at 28 and defines a shoulder 29 adjacent the edges of the panel and embracing the recess 28. The outer panel 22 also has a generally rectangular shape and may be formed from a single piece of sheet metal. The edges of the panel 22 are deformed to define a flange 30 extending around the periphery of the panel 22. The dimensions of the panel 22 and the flange 30 are such as to in effect define a recess for receiving the panel 2|. With the above construction when the panels are assembled, the panel 2| is telescopically received in the recess formed in the panel 22. When the panels are assembled, the top and bottom flanges 23 and 24 and the side flanges 26 and 2? respectively of the panel 2| are spaced inwardly of the corresponding portions of the flange 30 of the panel 22 and are in side by side relation therewith. The panels 2| and 22 are secured together along their bottom edges by spaced tongues 3| or tabs formed on the bottom portion of the flange 3n interfitting in grooves 52 formed in the flange 24 on the panel 2|. The top edges of the panels 2| and 22 are held in tightly assembled relation by screws, not shown, extending through apertures 33 adjacent the upper edge of the panel 2| to be received in threaded passages 34 mounted adjacent the upper edges of the panel 22. Any suitable hinge construction 35 may be utilized for mounting the door on the range.

During the fabrication and assembly of sheet metal doors of the above character, parts become stressed so that when the door is mounted on the range, the door is frequently warped so that it cannot seat against the front of the range and properly seal the oven. Accordingly, one phase of the invention is concerned with novel means for selectively stressing the door so that the above described warping can be counteracted and the door can be made to properly close the oven. The means for selectively stressing the door in this instance includes straps 38 and the panel .2|.

mounted on one side of the panel 2| and means for adjusting the tension in'the straps accessible for adjustment from the opposite side of the panel. As best shown in Fig. 2 two straps 33 are utilized. Each strap extends diagonally across one side of the panel 2| to bridge the recess 28. The ends 42 of the straps 38 are secured to the shoulder .29 adjacent the corners of the panel aslby welding or the like so that each strap is rigidly secured to the panel 2|. The tension means for each strap 38 herein includes a cupshaped member 39 and a machine screw 4| associated with the cup-shaped member 39 and the strap 38 so that the stresses in the strap may be adjusted by adjusting the screw 4|. Each cup-shaped member 39 (see Fig. ,3) .in general has a bell-shaped mouth defined by a rounded edge 43. Each cup-shaped member '38 is-mounted in the recessed portion 28 of the :panel 2| and is disposed between one of the straps 38 Each cup-shaped member 53.9.is positioned so that .the associated strap extends diametrically across the bell mouth of the -member and is engaged at spaced positions by .therounded edges or shoulders 33. The opposite axial face of each cup-shaped member 39 in effect defines a bridgingportion 40 between and spaced from the edges of the cup-shaped member '39 engaging the straps and terminates in a sleeve portion 44 shaped to extend through an aperture 45 formed in the panel 2|. The cupshaped members maybe of such dimensions'that the bridging portion 40 of each member is in contiguous relation with the panel 2| as shown in Figs. 3 depending on the depth of the recess :28 in the panel 2|. On its extreme outer end the sleeve ,portion 44 is formed with an axially facing annular shoulder '47. Each screw 4| projects through a passageway in the sleeve portion 44 and through an aperture formed in one of the straps or strips '38 to be received in a nut 48. The latter 'is secured on the strap 38 by means of a nutholder E9 of conventional construction. The

head of the screw Ill is positioned to abut against the annular shoulder 47. Preferably the panel 2,|, on the side thereof opposite to that in which the straps .38 are mounted, is .formed with .a recess forreceiving thehead of each screw 4| so that in the .assembledposition of the parts, each screw head is below the outer surface of the panel 2|.

While the operation of the above described mechanism may be readily apparent from the drawings and the above description, it will be Lbriefiy summarized herein. It'is assumed that the panels 2| and 22 arein assembled relation todefine. a door H such .as shown in Figure 11. It is assumed also that the door is out .of aline- .ment ,and that adjustment must be made to counteract the warp in the door resulting from fabrication and assembly of the door For purposes of better describing the invention, assume .that thecornersrz and c of the door H as shown in Fig. .2 are .out of the plane of the corners .b .and d and are .forwardly thereof. To bring the cornersaand c and b and it into alinement -sothat the jdoorl seats against the front of the range to close the oven, it ,is necessary totighten ithescrew 4| on the strap .38 extending between the corners'b and :1. Upon tightening the screw i'l, ,as by a tool, .thehea'd of the screw engages the shoulder 47 and the portion of the strap 38 extending across the bell mouth of the cup- .shaped, member .39 is .causedto be pulled inwardand 4 or it may be spaced therefrom 1y of the cup-shaped member toward the back or bridging portion 40 of the cup-shaped member 39. The closer the portion of the strap 38 across the mouth approaches the bridging portion 40 of the cup-shaped member the greater is the tension in the strap 38. As the tension in the strap 38 is increased the panels 2| and 22 are deflected so that the corners b and d are brought forwardly. As the strap is pulled inwardly of the cup-shaped member 39 the portions of the rounded edge 43 in effect define fulcrums about which the strap 38 bends or is pulled. The round- -ed edge -43prevents shearing of the strap. The

screwAl ,is tightened until the corners a, b, c and d are in --a common plane or other desired relation. Thelatter may be observed visually or the door I can be swung into its closed position 'on the range to see whether the door closes the oven.

If the corners b and d are disposed forwardly of the corners a .and ,c the tension in the strap 38 extending betweenthe corners a and 0 may be adjusted so that the tension thercinis in creased to bring the corners a and c forwardly ,to bein the plane .common with the corners b and (1.

There is a very good .mechanical advantage .inthis construction .so that a very small turning "force applied to the screw 4| insures that a large tension forceresults in the corresponding strap. All adjustments may be made after the door is .assembled. Also the adjustments are made from the side of the panel opposite to that on which the adjustingmechanismis mounted. This constructionis extremely simple. All the arts are either conventional parts or may be made as simple stampings. Consequently the .cost of this construction is relatively low.

We claim:

.1. The combination of a panel .having a recessed central portion and outer marginal por- "tions, said central portion having spaced aperhaving its'head located at the face of the panel remotefrom said straps to be accessible from that face ofthe panel, each screw engaging the corresponding cup-shaped member and being threadedly received in the corresponding nut for pulling the associated strap toward the panel when the screw is turned in one direction to adjust the tension in the strap whereby to control'the alinement of said panel.

2. The combination of a panel having a recessed central portion and outer marginal portions, said pan-e1 having an aperture in its central portion, a Strap extending across the recessed central portion at one face of the panel .and rigidly secured at opposite ends to spaced marginal portions of said panel, a cup-shaped member disposed between the central .recessed portion of the panel and the strap, said cup-shaped member having a bell mouth defined by an annular rounded edge positioned to engage thestrap ,at diametrically opposed locations on the bell mouth, said cup-shaped member having a bridging ortion interconnecting the portions of the rounded edge engaging the strap and terminating in a sleeve portion extending through said aperture in the panel, said sleeve portion terminating in an annular shoulder disposed beyond the face of the panel remote from the strap, a nut mounted on the strap between the portions thereof engaged by the cup-shaped member, and a screw extending through said sleeve portion and threadedly received in said nut, said screw having a head located at the face of the panel remote from the strap to be accessible from that face of the panel and engaging said annular shoulder and operative when turned in one direction to pull the strap inwardly of the bell mouth toward the panel to increase the tension in the strap.

3. The combination of a panel formed with its central portion displaced from the plane of its marginal sides and formed with an aperture, a strap rigidly attached to one marginal side of the panel and extending across one face of the displaced central panel portion in spaced relation therefrom and rigidly attached to another marginal side of the panel, a screw extending through said panel aperture and having its head disposed at the opposite face of the panel, said screw also being threadedly interconnected with the strap and operative when turned in one direction to pull the strap toward the panel to tension the strap, and a member interposed between the screw head and the strap formed with spaced rounded edge portions engaging the strap on opposite sides of its threaded interconnection with the screw, said member being separate from the panel and serving to absorb the compressive force on the screw resulting from the tensioning of the strap without imparting such compressive force to the panel.

4. The combination of a panel formed with an apertured central portion displaced from the plane of its marginal sides, a pair of straps rigidly attached at opposite marginal side portions of the panel and extending diagonally across one face of the panel in spaced relation from said central portion thereof, separate screws threadedly interconnected respectively with said straps, each said screw extending through a panel aperture and having its head disposed at the other face of the panel and being operative when turned in one direction to pull the associated strap toward the panel to tension the strap, and a member interposed between each respective screw head and the associated strap and formed with spaced rounded edge portions engaging the associated strap on opposite sides of its threaded interconnection with the respective screw to absorb the compressive force on the screw resulting from the tensioning of the strap without imparting such compressive force to the panel.

STANLEY H. HOBSON. THOMAS LANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,832 Lockwood Apr. 17, 1883 800,577 Hines Sept. 26, 1905 1,264,578 Sweeney Apr. 30, 1918 1,678,952 Pattinson July 3 1, 1928 2,335,329 Whitehead Nov. 30. 1943 2,319,303 Crawford May 18, 1943 2,347,090 Drake Apr. 1.8, 1944 2,413,597 Armstrong Dec. 31, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 830,417 France May 16, 1938 

